As our society becomes more complicated and advanced, our citizens become less technically literate. Jokes are often made about the difficulty the average citizen has in programming his video cassette recorder or in balancing his checkbook, but these jokes are not very amusing to those faced with the trauma of these seemingly daunting tasks.
"High fidelity" audio systems have been available for many years. The better quality "hi-fi" systems generally require the user to purchase several distinct component systems (such as preamplifiers, amplifiers, speakers, tuners, and the like), to configure and wire these components to create a complete, operative system, and then to adjust these multiple components to obtain the optimum sound output.
Consumers continually demand better sound quality from the "high-fidelity" systems available on the marketplace, but they do not appear to be as willing as they were in years past to invest the time in learning how to configure, assemble, and properly operate such systems. What is needed are high-fidelity systems which are of good quality, relatively inexpensive, simple to install, and easy to operate.
The need for such high fidelity systems is especially apparent in "health clubs" where music is often used to motivate the clients to exercise. In a typical health club, many different instructors, and/or clients, may use a particular piece of audio equipment during any one day; and most of such users, however, have no training in how to use the equipment. Consequently, in addition to frequently producing poor sound quality due to improper settings, the components of conventional audio systems used in health clubs often have relatively short service lives.
It is an object of this invention to provide a substantially "idiot proof" high-fidelity system which is of good quality, is relatively inexpensive, is simple to install, and is easy to operate.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an amplifier which is relatively stable and, nonetheless, produces superior sound quality.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an audio system in which signal distortion is minimized.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an audio system which contains multiple safety features.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an integrated amplifier system which minimizes the production of unwanted noise and hum.